


Crackpots and Weirdos, Creators and Innovators

by SundayZenith



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Gen, Likely OOC, feel free to ask to tag, tags'll update as I go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-13 07:02:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15358893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SundayZenith/pseuds/SundayZenith
Summary: Most people would consider it an honor to work for Scrooge McDuck.Really, the honor is all his





	Crackpots and Weirdos, Creators and Innovators

Scrooge couldn’t help chuckling at the look Donald shot him- equal parts panic and rage, his eyes comically wide under his furrowed brow. Normally, he wouldn’t react to his nephew’s clear discomfort in such a way, especially in a situation where it was warranted- and considering the fact that Launchpad was not only driving them in  _ Donald’s _ car, and car he’s never manned before, but he was driving them through a “shortcut” that seemed to consist mostly of sand and cacti while the Beagle Boys followed close behind in a much larger vehicle, Donald’s panic was more than warranted.

 

Still, there was an undeniable and unexpected energy to the honestly predictable chase that just made one giddy- even Louie was laughing at the sudden turns, though his laughter was bordering slightly on hysterical and when Scrooge turned completely in his seat to see how closely the Beagle Boys were following, he saw Louie clinging to Huey’s arm rather tightly.

 

The kids and Donald crowded into the back seat was about all he could see. The back window was covered in dust and mud.

 

Completely covered, in fact. “Launchpad?” He asked, turning back around, “can  _ ye _ see anything behind us?”

 

“Well, sure I can, Mr. McDee. Just gotta-” Launchpad rolled down the driver side window and stuck his head out. Sand flew in, covering Donald, who quacked in indignation before coughing and spitting as it flew into his mouth.

 

“Well? Are they still behind us?”

 

“Yeah, uh…” Launchpad drew his head back in. “I think I’ve gone blind, Mr. McDee.”

 

“Right. O’course,” Scrooge rolled his eyes, still in fairly good humor. It was just the  _ Beagle Boy _ , after all- in fact he didn’t understand why the Beagle Boys were following them. Sure there was no love between him and Ma Beagle, but her boys tended to concern themselves with smaller crimes. They had never really been a problem for Scrooge, at most being a minor inconvenience for Beakley and Duckworth, or Donald and Della back when-

 

Back then.

 

“It’s a very painful kinda blind, actually,” Launchpad shrugged.

 

“Right. Hold this car steady, Launchpad. I’ll only be a moment,” he said, climbing out of his seat, over his driver, and through the still open window, all while keeping his head low and an arm over his eyes to avoid getting sand in them as well.

 

Sure enough- “Honestly, what’s gotten into those Boys? What in the name of me- Launchpad! Cactus!” 

 

A sharp left sent Scrooge back fully in the car, and admittedly ungracefully back into the passenger seat. Everyone was covered in sand at this point.

 

“Wait!” Huey’s head popped between them before Donald and Louie pulled him back in his seat. “I have an idea! Launchpad, let the Beagle Boys pull up beside us.”

 

Scrooge brushed sand of himself, about to ask what in blazes his great-nephew was thinking before catching onto his train of thought- and Donald had already beaten him to the questions with a set of rapid fire “nonono”s.

 

The Boys pulled up, one of them reaching through the gab where a door should have been on their vehicle and latched onto the rolled down window. He froze upon catching sight of Scrooge, saying, “Wait, you’re  _ actually _ in this here wreck-”

 

Donald grabbed Scrooge’s cane and smacked the Boy’s hand with it, causing him to recoil.

 

“Turn right! Turn right!” Huey cried.

 

Launchpad complied with a cheery “Aye aye!” spraying sand onto the Beagle Boys and narrowly avoiding another cactus.

 

Scrooge couldn’t help but laugh the look look of surprise on the Boys’ faces before they disappeared under the sand wave.

 

\--

“Nice work back there, Launchpad,” Scrooge said, squeezing his arm before climbing into the grocery store parking lot. It wasn’t often he bothered with food shopping- Beakley usually handled it herself every other week on her way back from the gym, and Donald kept things stocked up for himself- but Webby had begged to go and Launchpad needed to pick up parts to work on the limousine. He figured they might as well make a day of it.

 

Besides, the cupons were close to expiring.

 

“Aw thanks, Mr. McDee,” Launchpad replied, his eyes still screwed shut.

 

“We’re alive,” Donald’s voice floated up from behind them as he gracelessly fell from the car to his hands and knees. “We’re alive. I’m alive. I’m okay. And I am never-  _ never _ getting in the car with him again. Oh gosh, my  _ tires _ !”

 

“You gonna, like, walk home?” Louie asked, already with his phone in hand and a bored expression on his face.

 

“Ach, nephew,” Scrooge made a show of rolling his eyes, mostly to get a chuckle out of one of the kids- Dewey snorted, at least, as he handed Launchpad a cloth from Huey to wipe his eye. “Say what ye will, but Launchpad is the most loyal and dependable driver I know. He always gets me where I need to go, and in one piece.”

 

Launchpad blinked in surprise- and to get the sand out from his eyes- before tearing up (again, likely partially sand related.) “Aw, Mr. McDee…”

 

“Whoo, groceries!” Webby cut in- Scrooge couldn’t deny that Beakley’s dear granddaughter was like her in many ways, with her strength and cunning in dangerous situations, but the girl could not read a room to save her tail feathers- jumping out of the car and racing ahead. “Guys, guys, come on! There’s probably shopping carts! And sales!” She grabbed both Dewey and Launchpad and began to drag them to the entrance, talking a mile a minute about some commercial she saw that had singing puppets. Huey and Louie exchanged a look before tailing after them. 

 

Scrooge caught a “you really think the puppets’ll sing for us?” “If they aren’t haunted by  _ evil  _ ghosts.” exchange between Launchpad and one of the boys.

 

Scrooge also caught a “Best driver you know? More like first replacement you could find, probably” from Donald as he picked himself off the ground.

 

“Really, Donald? Over some silly dirt and tires? Ye know the man’ll replace them.”

 

“I know, I know,” Donald waved a surprisingly dismissive hand at his Uncle before pulling a pile of crumpled papers from the back seat. His surprisingly bitter look turned hopeless as he looked from the papers- his resume, Scrooge realized- to his now rumpled and stained suit.

 

For a moment, Scrooge that Donald was about to tear the papers to shreds, maybe throw around a few choice words now that the children were out of earshot. His shoulders were almost above his beak, his hands shaking slightly.

 

Scrooge didn’t pity his nephew. Never had- Donald certainly never wanted pity. Still, he had helped raise the duck, and at one point, Scrooge had been the second person Donald would turn to for reassurance. 

 

“This isn’t about the tires, you know,” Donald muttered instead of shouted like Scrooge expected. He began brushing his suit off, attempting to flatten the papers against his chest, and pushed past his uncle.

 

“Oh, my bad about the tires, Donald,” Launchpad said, causing them both to jump. “Anyway, I just wanted to say, next time we fly, I’ll let you take the wheel for a bit in return for letting me borrow your car.”

 

“What? I’m not the pilot-”

 

And suddenly Scrooge understood.

 

“I know that,” Launchpad scoffed. “ _ I _ am, and if I say it’s okay, it must be okay, right?”

 

There was a crash, and several people fled from the store.

 

“Wait, where are the kids?” Donald asked, and without letting Launchpad answer, he rushed in.

 

‘ _ I’m not the pilot,  _ she _ is _ ’ was something Donald had said more than once, back then. Or ‘ _ I’m not the driver _ .” Della would say something similar about not being the captain if they were on a boat.

 

“Gee, Mr. McDee,” Launchpad interrupted his thoughts. “He’s not actually mad about the tires, is he? Because I will take care of it, he knows that right?”

 

Scrooge didn’t replace his niece with Launchpad. He would never. He hadn’t even known Launchpad could fly until a few months ago!

 

He had hired Launchpad because he needed a driver, one who could get from point A to point X as soon- and, preferably, as entertainingly- as possible, and Launchpad needed an employer who could handle the duck’s property damage.

 

“O’ course he’s not, and he does. And Launchpad,” Scrooge put a hand on his shoulder again, “nice job not crashing.”

 

“You noticed! Dewey said you would, but still…” Scrooge absently follow his driver into the store, only half listening.

 

Scrooge hadn’t hired anyone to replace his family- the thought hadn’t even occurred to him until Atlantis, after all, at which point he was neck deep in family.

 

It certainly wasn't his fault if Launchpad had weaseled his way into that family.


End file.
